{"id":58261,"date":"2014-09-28T11:13:29","date_gmt":"2014-09-28T19:13:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lukeford.net\/blog\/?p=58261"},"modified":"2014-09-28T11:13:29","modified_gmt":"2014-09-28T19:13:29","slug":"what-is-sensory-integrationoccupational-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lukeford.net\/blog\/?p=58261","title":{"rendered":"What is Sensory Integration\/Occupational Therapy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Loren Shlaes writes<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Occupational therapy assists people who for various reasons cannot meet their responsibilities and are not functioning at their highest potential. A child who is not succeeding in school and can\u2019t meet the grownup’s expectations falls into this category.
\nSensory integration based occupational therapy can be very helpful to a child who is struggling in the classroom by strengthening his body, correcting delays in his neurological maturation, improving the way his senses take in and respond to his environment, and helping him become more emotionally flexible. School based therapists also work on helping the child with his hand eye and fine motor coordination, handwriting, social skills, and anything else a child needs to succeed in the classroom.
\nWhat Does Sensory integration Mean?
\nSensory integration refers to the ability to take in, perceive, and act on sensory information in an accurate way. Our behavior is based on our perceptions of the world around us. If a child cannot correctly perceive and interpret what goes on around him, or if his balance is off and his coordination is poor, his behavior and actions are going to reflect that.
\nChildren who could benefit from sensory integration therapy are notable for being unable to meet the expectations of the grownups. They are \u201cout of synch\u201d in the classroom.An \u201cout of synch\u201d child may have some of these issues:
\nCan\u2019t maintain focus in a noisy classroom
\nCan\u2019t sit still
\nHas a hard time internalizing and following the unspoken expectations and routines of the classroom and acts as if every day is the first day of school
\nHas continual difficulty controlling impulses
\nLashes out when others come into his personal space
\nRefuses to interact with classroom materials such as paint, chalk, clay or glue
\nHas difficulty transitioning between activities
\nIs emotionally rigid, can\u2019t roll with the punches, needs to be in control, has difficulty socializing in an age appropriate way
\nHas a tough time modulating behavior; can go from zero to 60 in a second; his responses are often not appropriate to the situation
\nSlumps over his desk; rubs his eyes; his handwriting is painful, illegible, and slow, with a poor grasp; he may use too much force and break his pencil frequently; he has difficulty organizing his work on the page
\nAppears to not understand what is said to him; can\u2019t pick out teacher\u2019s voice over other noise in classroom; can\u2019t recall or follow long strings of instructions
\nIs easily distractible; looks up at every ambient sound or movement and then has a hard time refocusing
\nIs clumsy, trips and falls frequently, holds onto the handrail and uses step to step gait pattern on the stairs, can\u2019t do what the other children do in gym or on the playground
\nBehaves in unexpected or inappropriate ways in noisy or chaotic environment
\nIs frequently tuned out, not present
\nRequires constant redirection and guidance from adults; takes up more than his fair share of attention
\nDoes not like to play in groups, mostly chooses to play alone
\nSits with a frozen expression in class, especially when it\u2019s noisy
\nIs obviously bright but can\u2019t get his work done on time; poorly organized
\nDoes not have a flexible attention span; he is either unable to focus at all, or he is so hyper-focused that he is in his own world
\nHas a short attention span, poor frustration tolerance, is unable to self soothe or self regulate in an age appropriate manner
\nIs anxious, needs constant reassurance, seems lost and can\u2019t follow directions.<\/p>\n

If you have a child who is struggling in your classroom with any of these issues, a referral for an occupational therapy evaluation is in order.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Loren Shlaes writes: Occupational therapy assists people who for various reasons cannot meet their responsibilities and are not functioning at their highest potential. A child who is not succeeding in school and can\u2019t meet the grownup’s expectations falls into this … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10268,29652],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alexander-technique","category-children"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t